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12 Postcard Locations, Then and Now

The images on your postcards might get a little faded over time, but unless you attended Hogwarts, they generally don't change. The real life inspiration is not so inert. Businesses and buildings change so much that you might not recognize some of the locations from your postcards. SCENEPAST, the app that lets you look at famous movie locations over the years, has come up with a new app to let you compare postcards to modern day. ScenePast: Americana Road Trip is a free app that offers a virtual roadtrip through all 50 states.

Users can explore a variety of nostalgic tourist attractions and discover how time has aged them. It's amazing how some locations are completely different, while others have stood the test of time.

1. Beverly Hills Holiday Inn (1960s Postcard)

The Holiday Inn is now a Hotel Sixty, and the building has lost its retro red stripe. It's unclear what used to reside underneath, but presently, it's an art deco-inspired restaurant called Caulfield's.

2. Old South Meeting House (1900s Postcard)

Location: 310 Washington St, Boston, MA
Fun fact: This is where the Boston Tea Party first gathered in 1773

The Old South Meeting House is best known as the church where the conspirators of the Boston Tea Party first met in 1773. Today, the church is ivy-free and surrounded by chain clothing stores.

3. Brown Derby Beverly Hills (1940s Postcard)

Location: 9537 Wilshire Boulevard, Beverly Hills, CA

The Brown Derby is gone, but the Louis Vuitton building gives a subtle nod to the past with its brown, hat-like dome.

4. Disneyland Hotel Entrance (1960s Postcard)

Location: 1538 Disneyland Drive, Anaheim, CA

The monorail is still present, but as a result of reorganization, the Disney sign has been taken down. The area is now a lot less whimsical.

5. Coney Island Cyclone (1940s Postcard)

Location: 1000 Surf Avenue, Brooklyn, NY

The Cylone is a lot less flashy now. Despite being one of the most famous attractions in Brooklyn, the roller coaster is a no frills ride.

6. The Miniature Railroad Amusement (1910s Postcard)

Location: Pacific Ave and Windward Ave, Venice, CA

The train is gone, but it's nice to see that a lot of the original architecture is still there.

7. Quincy Market (1910s Postcard)

Location: 4 South Market, Boston, MA

The Boston market is still up and running, but with considerably fewer carriages.

8. Fremont Hotel (1960s Postcard)

Location: 200 Fremont Street, Las Vegas, NV

Outside of a new paint job, the Fremont Hotel is almost exactly the same.

9. Disneyland – Tomorrowland (1960s Postcard)

Location: Tomorrowland Way, Anaheim, CA

There's a lot more going on in Tomorrowland these days!

10. Rockefeller Center (1950s Postcard)

Location: 45 Rockefeller Plaza, New York, NY

Not much has changed at Rockefeller Plaza. The iconic pools and flowers are just as lush as ever.

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Also on Mental Floss:

DID YOU KNOW? Marlon Brando hated memorizing lines so much that he posted cue cards everywhere to help him get through scenes.
He even asked for lines to be written on an actress's posterior. (That request was denied.)